Skip to main content

Quantum Field Theory (428-1-1)

Instructors

Ian Low
847/467-2618
Technological Institute (2145 Sheridan Road), Room F-332, Evanston

Meeting Info

Technological Institute L160: Mon, Wed 9:30AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

This is the first quarter in a three-quarter sequence covering quantum field theory. Topics discussed in the sequence include: Lagrangian field theory, relativistic Lagrangians and relativistic wave equations, symmetries and conservation laws, canonical quantization, covariant perturbation theory, the S-Matrix, cross sections and lifetimes, elementary processes of quantum electrodynamics, quantum chromodynamics, and electroweak processes.

Registration Requirements

PHYS 412-1,2,3 (Quantum Mechanics) & PHYS 414-1,2 (Classical Electrodynamics)

Teaching Method

Two 80-minute lectures per week.

Evaluation Method

Homework and a final exam

Class Materials (Required)

None.

Class Materials (Suggested)

1] Mark Srednicki's QFT textbook, PDF of draft sufficient: https://web.physics.ucsb.edu/~mark/qft.html
Srednicki will be the main textbook.
2] Tony Zee's QFT in a Nutshell, fantastic for building intuition about QFT
3] Ronald Kleist's Diagrammatic Approach. (Draft pdf: https://www.hef.ru.nl/~kleiss/qft.pdf ), a very observable way of thinking about QFT
4] Warren Seigel's FIELDS textbook, (Only available online: http://insti.physics.sunysb.edu/~siegel/errata.shtml )
5] Riccardo Rattazzi's introductory QFT Lecture notes: https://www.epfl.ch/schools/sb/research/iphys/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/QFT-LectureNotes.pdf
6] David Tong's introductory QFT notes: https://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/tong/qft.html
7] Michael Luke's take on Sidney Coleman's lecture notes: https://www.physics.utoronto.ca/~luke/PHY2403F/References_files/lecturenotes.pdf

Other Recommended Textbooks:
i] Quantum Field Theory Vols I - III, by Weinberg, ISBN-13: 978-0521670555
ii] An Introduction To Quantum Field Theory, by Peskin and Schroeder, ISBN-13: 978-0813350196
iii] An Introduction To Quantum Field Theory, by Horatiu Nastase, ISBN-13: 978-1108493994
iv] Quantum Field Theory (from basics to modern topics), by Fançois Gellis, ISBN-13: 978-1108480901